1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a balance board that is used for exercise, recreation, and training for such sports as surfing and amusement wherein the distance that can be traveled along on the roller of the balance board is selectively adjustable by the user.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Balance boards have been in use for a long period of time. Essentially, these devices provide a board member that sits atop a roller in some fashion and a user places his feet on the top surface of the board and has the board travel back and forth along the roller in order to develop balance skills as well as develop leg muscles. Such devices, which come in various configurations, have found particular favor amongst surfing enthusiasts. As balance boards simulate many of the balancing acts that must be performed on a surf board, balance boards provide an ideal platform upon which to practice and hone such skills while land side, allowing the surfer to be able to develop surfing skills even when not at the shoreline.
Although the balance boards expand the window of opportunity for surfing practice, some boards are limited in functionality in that they provide only a single range of travel for the board with respect to the roller. As an experienced surfer desires to be able to control a surf board across a wide range of back and forth distances, the single range of motion limits the surfer's ability to develop and refine such skills. Additionally, such a single range of motion does not give a user the ability to effectively practice side to side control of the board.
In order to overcome this limit in range of travel, balance boards have been proposed that allow for variance in the travel distance of the board with respect to the roller and/or the axis of travel of the board along the roller. However, the prior art devices tend to be unduly complex in design and construction making such devices relatively expensive to manufacture and to purchase by the public. Additionally, many prior art devices are cumbersome in changing from one range of travel to another or from one axis of travel to the other. This results in a time-consuming process of changeover, making the balance board less desirable to use to its full ability.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a balance board that has a variable range of travel with respect to the roller as well as having multiple axis of travel of the board along the roller, which balance board overcomes the shortcomings found in the art. Such a balance board must be relatively simple in design and construction such that it is relatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture so as not to make the balance board cost prohibitive to the consuming public. The balance board must allow for a rapid changeover from one range of travel to another or from one axis of travel to the other so as to make the device versatile and make the changeover feature easy to use by the user.